Grub & Lawn Insect Control Guide
How to tell insect damage from drought, why preventive grub control is cheaper than repair, and when treatment should happen.
Some of the worst lawn damage happens underground. Grubs, the larvae of Japanese beetles and other beetles, eat grass roots in late summer and fall. The turf turns brown, feels spongy and peels up like a loose carpet. Skunks, raccoons and birds then dig up what's left looking for a meal.
Above ground, chinch bugs, armyworms and sod webworms can brown a lawn in days, especially in hot, dry weather. Insect damage is easy to mistake for drought, so a good lawn care company checks before treating.
What it includes
- Preventive grub control applied before eggs hatch
- Curative treatments for active grub damage
- Chinch bug and armyworm treatments
- Sod webworm and billbug control
- Inspection of brown or spongy areas
- Products chosen to protect pollinators
- Repair advice for damaged areas
- Monitoring during peak insect season
How the service works
Inspect
The technician pulls back the turf, checks for grubs or surface insects and rules out drought or disease.
Prevent
Preventive grub control goes down in late spring or early summer, before eggs hatch.
Treat
Active infestations get a curative product matched to the insect.
Repair
Damaged areas are seeded or patched once the insects are under control.
When insects strike
Preventive grub control works best applied from late spring into early summer. Grubs hatch in mid to late summer and feed heavily into fall, which is when most damage shows up.
Chinch bugs and armyworms peak in the heat of summer. In the South, St. Augustine lawns are especially prone to chinch bugs, and fall armyworms can sweep through Bermuda and other warm-season grass after late-summer storms.
Questions to ask a lawn care company
- Is grub prevention included in my program, or extra?
- How do you tell insect damage from drought or disease?
- What products do you use, and are they safe for pollinators?
- Will you repair areas that grubs damaged?
Common questions
How do I know if I have grubs?
Pull up a section of brown turf. If it lifts easily and you see more than five to ten C-shaped white larvae per square foot, grubs are the likely cause.
Why are animals digging up my lawn?
Skunks, raccoons, moles and birds often dig for grubs. Treating the grubs usually stops the digging.
Is preventive grub control worth it?
In areas with a history of grubs, yes. Prevention costs less than repairing a damaged lawn and stops the problem before you see it.
Can a lawn recover from grub damage?
Yes. Once grubs are controlled, damaged areas can be raked out and reseeded or sodded.
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